Section J. 
ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING. 
President of the Section: Professor W. H. Warren, M.Inst.C.E., 
University of Sydney. 
1—GAS-LIGHTING AND ITS FITTINGS. 
By A. U. Lewis, B.A. 
[ Abstract. | 
THE paper commenced by describing and explaining gas itself, 
and went on to show how the mysterious heavy gas bills are 
caused. The writer pointed out that, owing to the different 
altitudes to which the various gas companies have to supply gas, 
* it is impossible for them to give consumers the pressure as it 
should be—namely, half-inch, and that it rests, consequently, 
with every individual consumer to regulate the supply for himself 
by means of an automatic governor attached to the meter. The 
author condemned the custom of employing plumbers for work in 
connection with gas, and said that gasfitters only should be 
entrusted with such work, as plumbers, taken as a whole, knew 
little or nothing about the scientific principies of gas. <A 
suggestion was made that architects should specify in every case 
size of pipes and burners, etc., and that tenders be opened for 
gasfitting as distinct from plumbing. Another matter of interest 
broached was the vexed question of patent burners. Mr. Lewis 
explained several of the best, more especially ‘ Stott’s” governor, 
which he said met with most favour as being the cheapest and 
most economical. He illustrated his remarks by several 
interesting experiments with gas-lighting and trials of economical 
appliances. 
2.—NOTES ON TESTS AND SPECIFICATIONS OF 
CAST AND WROUGHT IRON. 
By Professor KErnot, M.A., C.E. 
THESE materials are in such general use for engineering purposes, 
and such great reliance is placed upon them in cases when failure 
would involve disastrous consequences to life and property, that 
